On Aug 31, 2008, at 3:32 PM, Laura wrote:
>>
>> For anyone that would like to send a comment to Johnston and Murphy
>> for dropping David's ad campaign, here is the link
>>
>> http://www.johnstonmurphy.com/about_contact.aspx
>>
>> Laura
>>








For those I've cc'd who may not know, Johnston & Murphy, who signed DD
to an ad campaign a month ago, have dropped him. You can leave
comments about this at the link mentioned above, if you feel inclined.

I'm mailing mine, since my comments are about the length of "Gone with
the Wind." LOL
If you want to read what I wrote, it's below my sig.

Tesa
******************************************************
Join my groups about "True Blood"
egroups.com/group/TrueBloodHBO
and David Duchovny's "Californication"
egroups.com/group/CalifornicationShowtime
******************************************************

To:

Jonathan D. Caplan
Senior Vice President;
Chief Executive Officer,
Genesco Branded Group
President, Johnston & Murphy

1415 Murfreesboro Road, Suite 264
Nashville, TN 37217


Dear Mr. Caplan,

I just found out that corporate has dropped actor David Duchovny, whom
they signed in July to appear in an upcoming ad campaign for Johnston
& Murphy.

I want J&M to know that I believe its action is reprehensible even if
it is totally in keeping with the negative image most Americans have
about corporations. If someone has a problem and gets help for it,
they are pre-judged by corporate America. (It's a good thing J&M isn't
in charge of trials in America. Everyone would be presumed guilty and
sentenced, even before being proven guilty. A rather ironic viewpoint,
since many of today's criminals are white-collar, corporation managers.)

J&M's actions in firing Mr. Duchovny are shallow and expose its
management's lack of moral backbone. Compared to J&M, squids have more
spine.

I realize that J&M's management isn't bothered by its business
policy's lack of moral consideration and human sympathy. However, I
live in Tennessee, and I know that at least one person in management
probably considers him/herself a "good Christian person" (a phrase you
hear a lot of people in the South say of themselves). It might even go
so far as the founders of the company considering it a good
"Christian" company. However, I also know that the actions of many of
these "good Christians" are about as authentic as Dolly Parton's
breasts. A true "good Christian" would turn their other cheek but not
their back on someone in trouble.

And let's not forget that the current corporate way of thinking
actually helps people in crisis stay that way. If a celebrity
spokesperson is an alcoholic, drug addict or sex addict, it's fine --
as long as they don't publicly acknowledge it. Therefore, there's a
lot of pressure for someone who needs help not to seek it because of
the negative financial impact it will have.

Through their actions, corporations award those who continue to ignore
or hide their addictions, helping add to the aura of shame that
surrounds addiction. Instead, corporations should be awarding those
who publicly acknowledge their problems and seek help. I commend Mr.
Duchovny for not only admiting to and seeking help for his addiction,
but doing it knowing it would probably cost him financially as well as
emotionally.

But let's forget J&M's lack of human decency. After all, it's a
company, and all it really cares about is the bottom line: money. The
Duchovny situation highlights how J&M's lack of foresight prevented
this from being a situation that would have positively affected its
bottom line.

So let's consider two scenarios: Shoppers are about to enter into a
J&M store when they see a poster of David Duchovny in the window. At
the bottom of the poster, in small text, reads: "J&M is proud to have
David Duchovny represent our company, and the thoughts and prayers of
every J&M employee is with him and his family at this critical time."

I can guarantee that the majority of the time, shoppers would continue
to enter the store. They may enquire about what's happened to
Duchonvy. They might even make a joke about it or express surprise
about it, but let's be realistic: They're not going to stop shopping.
In fact, some probably would voice their appreciation of J&M's support
of Duchovny.

However, now let's consider shoppers about to enter a J&M store with
the same poster of Duchovny on the window, except this time at the
bottom of the poster are the words: "J&M has decided to drop Mr.
Duchovny one month after hiring him because he's having personal
problems. We don't support anyone who's going through difficult times."

Anyone who's gone through any type of difficult time in their life
(and who hasn't) will think twice about continuing through the door.

But alas, corporate "mentality" is limited and unable to conceive of
the possibility that they could improve sales by publicly standing
behind someone whom just a month before they said they were "thrilled"
to have and embodied "success and confidence, along with a great sense
of style." It's too bad J&M doesn't have a great sense of loyalty.

The positive spin that would have resulted from J&M standing behind
Mr. Duchovny in his time of personal crisis would have made news
because it would have reversed the (apparently correct) image the
American public has of corporate "suits" as disloyal and caring only
about money and not people.

Now, instead of wanting to shop at a company that publicly supports
its employees (which, in a sense, Duchovny was), I will avoid like the
plague that and any company that's so willing to throw someone in
crisis "under the bus."

For me, one good thing has come of J&M's decision. As a journalist,
it's given me a great topic for an editiorial. And, if I do write
about corporate (dis)loyalty in America, you can bet that Johnston &
Murphy's lack of corporate spine will be the main topic.

###



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